The Little Things
by Lilas
Summary: The Fourth had to get a baby from somewhere. The baby had to have a mother. This is about when Naruto was born.


Author: Lilas  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine. Expect for Ame. Although she's mine and Moonsheen's... And technically speaking Arashi's personality is ours too mainly because the Fourth was never given one in the anime/manga yet. Yah. *nods*  
  
Author's note: Well, this is about when Naruto was born and how his parents acted when they had to give him up. In my version, the Fourth is Naruto's father (it's undeniable!!) and Moonsheen and I made up his mom a few months ago, so that's her there. So with that, enjoy!!  
  
****  
  
There are some things in life you never forget. When your fist baby tooth falls out, or your get your first kiss, or even your first crush (even if she did punch you in the face and call you an idiot). So it comes to no surprise to me now, at this point in my life when I can see its end, that I remember her that day. That I remember her as she told me I was going to be a father. As she told me we had created the biggest miracle imaginable on this planet. I remember my last moments with her.  
  
It was a warm sunny day and I was lazing around the office, watching the pile of paper in front of me, fascinated by the sheer amount of trees that must have been cut down for us to make them, and wondering if something shouldn't be done about that, when I was startled out of my reverie by the knock on the door. I watched as a shy kunoichi stuck her head inside my office and stammered out some words. I smiled and thanked her as she closed the door. Best not be late. Wives are scary when they think you're avoiding them on purpose.  
  
In cloud of smoke I found myself within seconds in front of my third favorite place in the world: Ichiraku Ramen. Sighing softly I inhaled a deep breath and walked in, taking my usual seat and waiting patiently for my favorite waitress to serve me. I watched her from the corner of my eyes, long blond hair up in twin pigtails, bobbing up and down as she nodded her head to a customer's question. She waved a pale hand in the air, her loud laugh easily making its way all the way to where I was seated.  
  
I watched her turn and winked at her when I saw her blue eyes widening with happiness. It sure paid off to teleport here to see that look on her face. She clenched her free hand to her stomach and practically ran behind the counter and into the kitchen. Within a matter of minutes I had a steaming bowl of Miso Ramen in front of me and a pair of blue eyes watching me with adoration. I grinned and dug right into the meal even though I had eaten lunch not thirty minutes before. What can I say? I'm a sucker for this stuff!  
  
"Arashi, I need to talk to you. In private," she said, her voice low, her hand in front of her mouth to cover her act from onlookers as her eyes went sideways, glaring at the rest of the customers.  
  
"You called me all the way to a public place in order to talk to me in private when we could have done that in my office?" Sometimes I don't understand my wife's thought process.  
  
"I'm working! I can't very well get off work to see Your Majesty!" she huffed up, hands thrown in the air to emphasize her point.  
  
So much for privacy now that half the shop was looking at us, wondering what the Hokage and his wife could possibly be arguing about in the middle of a ramen store.  
  
"Ok Ame, you win. Private place. Where?"  
  
"My place."  
  
"Your place? You mean your apartment? But I thought--"  
  
"No, I did not sell it. And it's just across the street, Arashi. It's a lot closer for me to sneak off to than your office on the other side of the freaking town," she cut me off as she put down her tray and began untying her apron.  
  
She looked at me as I stayed in my chair, watching her walking out of the restaurant and wondering to myself why I had the distinct impression this was going to change my life forever. She cocked her head to the side, her hair following her every movement, shining under the sun. It was so bright... She looked so perfect at that moment; just like she was five years ago when I first met her. With a grin I pushed myself off the stool and grabbed her extended hand, walking with her towards the buildings in front of us.  
  
She opened the door and headed straight towards the kitchen, putting a kettle to the fire and rummaging around the mess for a closed teabag. She stood in front of the flames, watching as the water slowly began to boil. I observed her from my chair, watching as her hands knotted around one another, chipped fingernails scratching the skin and leaving red marks behind. I couldn't see her face from where I was, but I could imagine her teeth biting her lower lip as her eyes stared at the water, never seeing it.  
  
I knew there was nothing I could do until she told me whatever it was that was bothering her. I knew I couldn't push her, but I trusted her to tell me, to let me know, to let me help whichever way I could. She grabbed two ceramic cups and put them down on the counter, pouring the hot tea into them, never once looking up at me. Finally she sat down and wrapped her hands around the cup and watched it thoughtfully, her teeth biting her red lips and her eyes closed.  
  
And all I could do was wait.  
  
"Arashi... You know I love you," she began, her eyes never leaving her cooling tea. "And you know I'd never do anything to hurt you."  
  
"Ame--"  
  
"No, let me finish," she pleaded, looking up at me and placing a hand on top of mine. "I love you. I truly do. And I love this relationship. I feel complete being with you, and I don't want you to leave me... So please don't be harsh when I tell you this. Promise me."  
  
"Ame... what's going on? What could possibly have happened that could make me leave you? I thought you knew I loved you too."  
  
She smiled sweetly at me, as if hearing exactly what she wanted to hear, which I obviously didn't know what it had been because heaven forbid I actually understand how the female mind works. I looked at her expectantly as she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and tightened her grip on my hand.  
  
She looked at me and smiled. "I'm pregnant, Arashi."  
  
I stared at her for a long moment before everything faded to black.  
  
It turns out now that it's a boy. And he looks exactly like her. He's blond with bright blue eyes and loud, although I suspect the loud comes from a bit of the both of us. He's beautiful, just like she was. I can't believe I'm referring to her in the past tense. She's dead now. She died giving birth to him; but she didn't die without a fight. I remember her looking at me and smiling, even as her life drained away, and squeezing her child to her breasts, watching him with so much love and adoration that for half a second I was jealous.  
  
"Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen, Arashi? He looks just like us," she whispered as she moved some of his hair away from his face.  
  
I watched her for a moment, struck with how mature she looked with her hair down and pooling around her. "He looks just like you," I whispered, placing one hand on her hair and the other on my child's. "He's going to be a little troublemaker," I continued, smiling as I watched him squirm a bit in his blanket.  
  
"He's going to grow up all alone... she whimpered after a moment, hugging him closer to herself. "I know I'm dying. I can feel it... She looked up, blue eyes brimming with tears. "And I know that demon will kill you too."  
  
"I have no choice," I mumbled, ashamed and frustrated at the task ahead. She knew what had to be done to her child -to our child -and she allowed it. "He... He needs a name, Ame," I chocked out between the lump in my throat.  
  
"Naruto."  
  
"Well... That makes a lot of sense," I mumbled.  
  
I smiled as the girl in front of me broke into a laugh. I say girl because that's what she was then. She looked like a girl. A pretty, mature, perfect girl holding her life, her baby, and knowing that within a few hours she would be dead, I would be dead, and our baby would be left alone in the world with a demon inside of him -if the demon didn't kill him first. She laughed and then she cried, burying her head within the folds of the blanket enveloping her son. Her only son.  
  
"I wanted him to have a sibling," she murmured, her voice muffled and chocked. "I wanted to read him stories and watch him grow... I wanted... I wanted so many thing, Arashi. So many things he'll never have."  
  
There was nothing I could say to her. There was nothing I wanted to say to her. I sat on the bed and pulled her to me, hugging her and my son to me for the first time... for the last time. I wrapped my fingers in her soft hair and kissed her temple for a long moment before pulling away and kissing her lips one last time. This was it. I pulled away and watched as she murmured sweet things to her son. I blinked back tears when her tear- streaked face looked up at me and she extended her arms with the blue bundle as an offering.  
  
I felt the tears streak down my cheeks as I relieved her of her blessed burden and hugged it tightly to my chest.  
  
"He... He won't have a family picture, Arashi," she sobbed out as she stared at her trembling hands.  
  
I stood my grounds, waiting for her to let me go, waiting for her to give me the go ahead and sacrifice our child. I looked down at the sleeping boy, smiling softly when his hand curled around itself and he let out a small sound of content. I tried to ignore Ame's soft whimpers as she tried to collect herself. She wanted to be strong for him. She wanted to be strong for me. But she didn't need to try... She already was. She had always been.  
  
She will always be.  
  
She looked up then, her eyes dry, her cheeks and nose red. "You'd have made a wonderful father, Arashi."  
  
"You're a wonderful mother, Ame."  
  
She smiled, laughed and dried her cheeks. "Go. Get out of here. You have a village to save."  
  
I nodded and turned around, the baby in my arms grunting in distaste as I closed the door with a final click.  
  
I'm here now, watching my child scream and wiggle around the blanket, waiting for his mother to pick him up and cuddle him, waiting for his father to throw him in the air and make him laugh. I'm watching my child cry as the demon settles inside him and becomes a part of him. I'm watching him as a red seal forms on his abdomen and three whisker marks bleed and scar on each of his cheeks as his anguish grows. I watch as no one around me picks him up or tries to calm him. I watch him as his world slowly crumbles to dust. With a final grunt I manage to place my hand near his cheek and caress it, watching as he slowly calms down and wraps his small fingers around what he can grab of it. I watch him until I have to close my eyes.  
  
What have I done? 


End file.
